Humidifier



Oct. 15,1929. w, p LEE 1,732,055

.HUMIDIFIER Filed May 8, 1928 WWI' ATTORNEY Patented Oct. l5, 1929PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM P. LEE, F NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA.

HUMIDIFIEB Application tiled Hay B, 1928. Serial No. 276,121.

This invention relates to humidifers for use in homes, schools, andother buildings.

A primary object of the invention is to so construct a humidifier thatit may utilize the waste heat from the smoke pipe of a heating plant towarm and va or1ze a spray of water for the purpose o introducing theproper amount of moisture into the air in a building.

It is well known that the lack of humidity in homes and schools and thechange from an inside humidity of about 30% to an outside of about 60%causes a vast amount of sickness, more particularly catarrh, colds, andl5 diseases of the mucous membranes. Moreover, with a high percentage ofhumidity, the temperature' may be reduced from five to seven degrees andthe occupants of the building be made more comfortable than with ahighertem eratureandalowerhumidity. For instance, tlie reduction intemperature of say five to seven degrees results in the saving of from12% to 25% in consumption of fuel in addition to the other advantagesabove set forth. It has been found by experience that a room temperatureof 65 F. 1s very comfortable when the humidity is 50%, while when thehumidity is a temperature of 72 or 75 F. is required to produce the same30 comfort.

It is to obtain this improved result that this invention is designed.

Another obj ect is to so construct the humidifier that a circulation ofair may be produced within a building by drawing in cold air from apoint remote, warming it, and causing it to clrculate around a sectlonof smoke pipe, saturating it with moisture and discharging it back intothe building as warmed, moist, cleansed air.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a widerange of modification Vwithout departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the claimed invention there being shown in thedrawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and practical form, inwhich;

Figure 1 represents a side elevation with parts broken out, of ahumidifier constructed 5 1n accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a to plan view.

In the embodlment illustrated, the humidifier 1 constituting thisinvention comprises a pipe section 2 of approximately the same diameterand length of the section of smoke pipe which it is designed to replacein the smoke pipe of a furnace or other heater.

A jacket 10 is arranged around the pipe section 2, said jacket beinglarger in diameter than said section but shorter in length, and havingits ends closed except where the pipe section 2 passes therethrough.

In the side wall of the jacket 10 at or near one end thereof is anopening 11 preferably having mounted therein a pipe 11'l for theentrance of the cold air, and at or near the other end of the casing 10is an openin 12 with a pipe 12 leading therefrom and w ich is designedfor the discharge of warmed moistened air.

Wound around the pipe section 2 within the casing or jacket 10 is asmall metal pipe or tube 13 which terminates within the casing at oneend in a spray nozzle 14 arranged to discharge against one side wall ofthe casing, for a purpose presently to be described. The other end ofthis coil pipe 13 extends through the casin and is provided with acontrol valve 15 or regulatin the sup ly of water through the coil 13,it eing undorstood that this coil ipe or tube 13 is desi ned for thepassage t erethrough of water om city or other pressure supply source.The valve 15 is connected by suitable levers, not shown, with the frontor check damper of the furnace so that the amount of water passingthrough the coil 13 will be controlled by the opening and closing of thefront damper of the furnace.

At the end of the pipe 2 nearest the chimney, islocated a check damper 3which replaces the damper usually located nearer the eating plant, saidcheck damper being .designed to allow the section 2 contained within thejacket 10 to retain the heat by allowing the air which checks the draftcf the heatin plant to enter back of the humidifier.

In t e side of the jacket 10 o posite the spray nozzle 14, is placed asmal trap door 16 to afford access to the nozzle to adapt it to beadjusted to meet the requirement for which the humidifier is intended,such as the amount of water needed for saturating the air for use in adifferent number of rooms and to be supplied under various conditions.

A small drain 17 is located at the lower part of the jacket 10 for thereturn of any excess water which is not vaporized.

This humidifier while primarily designed for use in connection with hotwater or steam plants may be easily attached to furnaces by extendingthe cold air inlet pipe 11a to connect with the cold air intake of thefurnace, and discharging the moist hotair from the outlet pipe 12adirectly into the upper air chamber of the furnace from Which-it will becarried to all the hot air outlets.

It is also to be understood that this humidifier may be made in anydesired shape, arranged at any angle to suit the space to be occupied,and the plant in connection with which it is to be used, the onlyrequirement being that the cold air pipe 11 shall be lower than the hotair or hot moisture discharge pipe 12". It is also to be understood thatair passing through this humidifier may be cleansed and purified byallowing a larger amount of water to pass through than can be vaporizedso that the excess water flowi ing back through the drain pipe 17 willcarry off the impur1t1es.

Without further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention will be readily ap arent to those skilled inthe art, and it will of course he understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

I claim 1. In a humidifier, a pipe section adapted to replace a similarsection of a smoke ipe' from a heating plant, a casing surrounding saidpipe section and of greater diameter than said section, said casingbeing closed at its ends except where the pipe section passestherethrough, said casing having an air inlet at one end and an' outletat the other, a small pipe coiled around the pipe section within saidcasing and provided at one end within the casing with a discharge nozzleand having the other end extending through the casing and provided witha control valve.

2. In' a humidifier, a pipe section adapted to replace a similar sectlonof a smoke pipe from a heating plant, a casing surrounding said pipesection and of greater diameter than said section, said casing beingclosed at its ends except where the pipe section passes therethrough,said casing having an air inlet at one end and an outlet at the other, asmall pipe coiled around the pipe section within said casing andprovided at one end within the casing with a discharge nozzle and havingthe other end extending through the casing and provided with a controlvalve, and 'a drain plpe leading from said casing to carry ofil anyexcess water not fully vaporized.

3. A humidifier'comprising a smoke pipe section, a casing surroundingsaid section, said casing being provided with means for receiving anddischarging air which is heated in its passage through the casing, asmall pipe coiled around the pipe section within said casing andprovided at one end within the casing with a discharge nozle and havingits other end extending through the casing and provided with a controlvalve.

Signed at Northfield in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota this30 day of April A. D. 1928.

WILLIAM P. LEE.

